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Development and application of smart fertilizers and plant fortifiers in the ecological blueberry cultivation
Project
Project code: EIP-Agri-Ni-2019-PGD
Contract period: 01.01.2019
- 31.12.2021
Budget: 492,178 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Keywords: plant production and horticulture, fertilisation
Due to the ecological orientation many households in Germany focus on the demand for bio-certified berries is increasing. However, cultivation without agro-chemicals involves some critical risks: For one thing due to cases of pests and illness. Other risks involve missing nitrogen sources, which are present in farm manure only in the form of relatively unstable ammonium. If the soil gets at a pH value of 5 and above, the intake of iron is inhibited, which leads to deficiency symptoms and lower yields. Another problem is a decline in bio-diversity, for example through bee deaths, leading to decreasing yields as well. Due to problems like these, organic farms focusing on blueberry cultivation harvest only 3-4 tons per hektar. Which questions the profitability of these special cultures. Our goal is to minimize economic hazards and to realize a high-yielding harvest in the ecological blueberry cultivation – mainly through the use of innovative bio-based fertilizers and fortifiers. Procedure and approaches during and after the course of the project will be made available for other economy branches as well.
Section overview
Subjects
- Plant Nutrition
- Arboriculture
- Climate Change